Power distribution assets endure considerable wear and tear — so they must be robust enough to withstand harsh climates and severe weather events, as well as ongoing and sudden grid challenges. Thorough testing of assets and components is a critical part of ensuring resilience and reliability.
Since 2008 at the SVEPPI Laboratory (located just outside Venice, Italy), Siemens has been conducting dielectric, thermal and mechanical performance tests of substation devices and components. These tests ...

J.D. Power’s new customer satisfaction survey found consumers want to control their energy use and, actually, communicate with their utility. They also like having choices.Overall customer satisfaction rose for the third year in a row, with communications and price satisfaction the drivers. Today's customers not only want more communication, but they want it to empower them.
Control: consumers want more control over their energy consumption and production. Almost 30% of customers are considerin ...

I had the pleasure this week at LinkedIn’s global headquarters of helping to introduce a radical new concept in electric vehicle charging.FreeWire Technologies, Inc. is piloting its invention, the Mobi Charger™, to provide EV charging to LinkedIn’s employees. Mobi Charger turns traditional charging on its head by bringing the charger to the car – instead of the driver bringing the car to the charger. Siemens is a partner in the project, providing the data collection, management, and energy billi ...

Last week, in its Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) proceeding, and based on the success of a similar program at Consolidated Edison of New York, the New York Public Service Commission approved new demand response programs for the other four regulated New York’s utilities: Central Hudson Electric & Gas, New York State Electric and Gas, Niagara Mohawk Power, and Rochester Gas and Electric.
The programs are in line with the state’s REV vision, a process for transitioning the electric system t ...

At the early age of electricity a war of currents took place— DC v.s. AC, also known as direct current and alternating current. Both technologies offered many advantages but also disadvantages. One major step towards today’s alternating current grids was the invention of transformers. The transformer enabled higher voltage levels in the grid, which allowed a more efficient transmission of energy and application specific voltage levels. That was the beginning of the success story of transformers. ...